Electronic cash register with data reading wand

ABSTRACT

Cash register which reads tags and other media, automatically checks the accuracy of data, performs computations, instructs and controls operator personnel, prints sales checks, and sends data to a remote processor. Key-less entry of all data is possible by virtue of a reading wand for data recorded magnetically on strips, for example, but an auxiliary keyboard may be provided for extra versatility. Data strips are attached to articles of merchandise, are provided upon an external control panel, and are incorporated in employee badges and customer credit cards. Each strip contains control data as well as at least one of descriptive, quantitative and instruction data. The utilization of a set of strips by an operator implements a complete transaction. The control data are preferably encoded upon each strip as a preamble to the message contained within the strip. Such preambles and the instruction data determine the manner in which the cash register operates to implement a transaction.

United States Patent [1 1 Teixeira et al.

[ 1 ELECTRONIC CASH REGISTER WITH DATA READING WAND [75] Inventors: Anibal Teixeira, San Jose; William H. Burkhart, Los Altos Hills, both of Calif.

[73] Assignee: Transaction Systems, Incorporated, Palo Alto, Calif.

[22] Filed: Oct. 29, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 410,896

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 182,089, Sept. 20, 1971,

1 Oct. 28, 1975 Primary ExaminerMark E. Nusbaum Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Shapiro and Shapiro 57 ABSTRACT Cash register which reads tags and other media, automatically checks the accuracy of data, performs computations, instructs and controls operator personnel, prints sales checks, and sends data to a remote processor. Key-less entry of all data is possible by virtue of a reading wand for data recorded magnetically on strips, for example, but an auxiliary keyboard may be provided for extra versatility. Data strips are attached to articles of merchandise, are provided upon an external control panel, and are incorporated in employee badges and customer credit cards. Each strip contains control data as well as at least one of descriptive, quantitative and instruction data. The utilization of a set of strips by an operator implements a complete transaction. The control data are preferably encoded upon each strip as a preamble to the message contained within the strip. Such preambles and the instruction data determine the manner in which the cash register operates to implement a transaction.

6 Claims, 137 Drawing Figures Sheet 1 of 73 3,916,386

US. Patent Oct. 28. 1975 U.S. Patent 08. 28, 1975 Sheet50f73 3,916,386

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LOGIC SYMBOL KEY U.S. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet60f73 3,916,386

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DUAL 4 INPUT EXPANDER ELEMENT SIGNETICS PART NO-8806 EXPANDABLE AN DORINVERT GATE SIGNETICS PART NO.8848

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1. Data terminal processing apparatus comprising a housing having electronic circuit means therein for performing data processing operations in accordance with an operator-selectable program, an array of operator-accesible pre-recorded instruction message strips external to said housing and having program subroutine messages recorded thereon, additional operator-accesible, pre-recorded message strips having messages recorded thereon including data to be processed by said apparatus in accordance with said program, a manually movable wand connected to said circuit means for scanning said strips to produce electrical signals corresponding to the messages scanned, each of said message strips having recorded thereon characters which represent identification and processing information relating to the associated message, said circuit means including means responsive to the electrical signals corresponding to said characters for identifying the associated messages, and including means for determining the data processing operations to be performed upon the electrical signals corresponding to the associated messages, said circuit means further including an instruction message sequencer having means responsive to said means for determining, for receiving and temporarily storing electrical siGnals corresponding to a scanned and identified instruction message, and said circuit means also including means responsive to the electrical signals stored by said instruction message sequencer for causing said apparatus to execute the stored instruction message and to perform a sequence of data processing operations in accordance with a program constituted at least in part by said sub-routine messages, said instruction message sequencer also including means responsive to the execution of the stored instruction message for replacing the stored signals with other signals corresponding to a subsequent scanned and identified instruction message.
 2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said characters are recorded as a preamble to the message of each strip.
 3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said apparatus has indicators associated with said message strips and said circuit means includes means for illuminating said indicators at appropriate times during data processing operations for informing the operator of said apparatus as to the strips to be scanned by said wand.
 4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein said circuit means includes means for establishing certain acceptable message-identifying characters concurrently with the illumination of certain of said indicators, and means for rejecting electrical signals associated with characters other than the acceptable characters.
 5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said apparatus is a point-of-sale device, said array of strips is mounted upon said housing, and at least some of said additional strips are attached to articles to be sold.
 6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein said array is readily detachable from said housing for replacement by another array. 